Insanity
by Patented Disaster
Summary: After leaving the diner and getting out of the downpour, Alice tells Jasper her very brief story after he's confessed his own. They travel to find their home Alice witnessed in her 'vision'. AxJ,AU.
1. Meeting Alice

Jasper Whitlock sat in his room, on a wicker chair. Across from him sat a small, pixie-like girl, her raven black cropped hair flat on her head, drenched from the downpour just outside the creaky walls of the hotel. She was glowing, the feelings radiating from her confusing him all together. How could she not be scared? He had just poured out him tragic life story of his change and the reason he had his very frightening scars all over him. He pulled his long spidery legs up against his chest and stared at the girl whom he had just met a few hours before.

"And what's your story, Miss Alice?" Jasper asked quietly, staring at the pale white figure in front of him. He clenched his fist, watching as the crescent moon shapes on his hand shimmered softly in the pale lightning. He strained his ears as she contemplated her answer. He could hear the thudding of the heavy rain on the wooden roof of the hotel. The windows vibrated softly from the thunder, and he could hear the scuttling of mice above their heads in the roofing. He heard their quick heartbeats, hear the wetness of their blood pulsing through their tiny veins. The burn was very little; he only had eyes for Alice, the girl.

"I don't... I don't exactly remember." She said softly. She pulled her legs up to her chest to match him, and Jasper could feel the small sense of melancholy wash over the bright, happy Alice. Jasper tore his eyes away from a spider spinning her web in a dark corner to look at Alice's unique golden eyes. He wondered how she could get such a fascinating color aside from the horrifying red he got when he hunted.

"At all?" He pressed, taking one of the tiny hands wrapped around her ankle in his own massive one. He compared the pearly smoothness of her hand compared to the raised texture of his own. "I'm sure I could help you. Close your eyes... Think for a minute."

Her coal black eyes were wary, and she let her eyes close. Even if Jasper had only met Alice a few hours before, he felt a bond that he had never felt before. "Try to think back to your old life. What do you see?" He focused on her, ignoring a stronger, wetter heartbeat as the hotel manager passed his bedroom door to examine the 'do not disturb' sign. She paused and turned, clicking her boots down the soggy hall.

"Darkness." She replied, her tinkling voice barely audible. He looked away from the eggshell white door with chipping paint. Her forehead creased, her tiny eyebrows slanting upward and pulling together. "I... I can't move. It's just... Dark. It's also really damp and cold." She bit her lower lip, her white teeth gnawing on the skin there.

Jasper looked down, brushing his hair from his face with his free hand. "Is that it?" He continued. Alice opened her eyes, revealing a warm butterscotch. She nodded vaguely.

"That must be maddening, not knowing where you came from." Jasper mused. Alice's feelings returned to normal, all signs of despair vanishing with a bat of her long lashes. She bounced in her spot for a moment, her perfect lips spread wide across her impossibly white teeth. The venom glistened on them oddly when lighting struck outdoors.

"Not really." Alice shrugged, playing with Jasper's finger. "It was scary at first... I just remember waking up in an alley, and my throat.. It burned. It felt like fire crawling up to my mouth, and I couldn't fight it off. And I just smelled something so delicious... I.. I couldn't control myself. I attacked a young man, not acknowledging the new gold band around his wedding finger of the rose he geld firmly in his hand. I almost resisted as he begged for me to leave him alone. The young man didn't have a chance from the monster I became. I struck out and killed him with a brush of my lower jaw. And, that whole time, I had no idea what I was." I couldn't imagine Alice with red eyes- red eyes so monstrous like my own.

"A vampire." Jasper murmured, stroking the soft skin of her hand.

Alice nodded. "And, like you said, I had a vision. It was really scary at first. I was seeing two things at once, and it startled me. I was seeing the dim cobblestone road ahead and parts of the bodice of my dress laces flowing of the wind. The other... It was of you... I was in a dim room. And there were bells chiming briefly. The gruff, greasy man in front of me took a glance behind me and cowarded into the back room. I turned around, wondering what could have made a man of his type run and hide in the kitchen. Then, you were there. I was surprised to find you. I suppose I would have seen you before, because my mood changed abruptly from boredom to extreme delightedness. 'You've kept me waiting a long time,' I said brightly, jumping from the barstool and leaving my untouched food behind me."

"'I'm sorry, ma'am,' you said. Your eyes were wary, and coal black. Then I returned to the present day and wonder how the hell I just did that." She smiled, obviously remembering. A little laugh escaped her lips. Jasper relished the sound. "And the best part is, after that one vision, I kept watching you. You were my only friend, and you didn't even know me. I could see what we would eventually be. I would help you... help you not be a monster anymore. We would be okay, because my visions were so graphic... I knew you before I _knew_ you. I could feel your hurt when you went hunting... And I could feel the pain you felt when you were alone. It made you insane. But your smiles..." She sighed, and I couldn't help but smile at her own feelings of happiness. "Ah. They were so rare, but when I did have a chance to see them. Oh, how it would make my day. so beautiful..." Her voice dragged out, and her fingers touched a scar that crossed the corner of my mouth.

Jasper looked at Alice. "Monster." He whispered. Her lips turned into a smile, and her fingers moved upward. She traced the very dark shadows underneath his eyes.

"You're thirsty." She murmured intelligently.

Jasper nodded. "Yes, Miss Alice." He held her hand there, absorbing her scent and trying to decipher her emotions. She was currently blank, as was her face.

There was nothing, just emptiness. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she took in breath. Jasper was getting worried. Was she alright?

"Are you...?" Jasper asked, unsure. He didn't realize he had just witnessed Alice have a vision.

Alice sighed. "I have a solution to this problem, but it will be hard." She murmured, politely removing her hand from Jasper's.

"What is it, Miss Alice?" Jasper replied, missing the warmth of her hand, but ignoring the fact and focusing on Alice.

"The Cullens."


	2. Animal Blood

"Who are these Cullens?" Jasper asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. He heard the soft the soft noise of fabric touching the floor and turned away quickly. Alice changed quickly behind him into a pair of his own trousers and shirt. She sighed heavily as she rolled up the pant legs (obviously too tall) and tucked in the shirt as far as it would go. The shirt hung loosely around her body, and as much as he didn't appreciate not being able to enjoy seeing her, she looked more like a young boy. She preferred to wander the streets this way than have to worry about people wondering about a ghost like girl floating through the streets.

Alice brushed past Jasper, rolling up the sleeves to the white shirt and fastening the middle button on her flat stomach. "They are other vampires who live like I do."

Jasper stared, confused. "How do they live? Stealing clothes from friends?" Alice shut

the window on the other side of the room, obviously ignoring his teasing comment, and Jasper watched as her hands met the sunlight. With a dazzling light, Alice's hands looked like tiny diamond facets in her skin, and they threw rainbows in different directions. It was beautiful and supernatural, and Jasper held his breath.

Alice huffed. "They live only off the blood of animals," Jasper sneered at her words "and their eyes are gold. There are five of them. Carlisle created them, he's the oldest. He created his 'son', Edward, later. Then he changed his wife, Esme." Alice hurried around my room, tidying up. We would be leaving to go hunting, and Alice would show me animal blood. "Carlisle saved Rosalie, his daughter." Alice smiled, knowing something I obviously didn't. "And Rosalie brought her husband, Emmett, to him to be changed. Everyone is paired except for Edward."

Jasper pondered as Alice flitted here and there, tucking this in, straightening that, dusting there. Five vampires…_together?_ Jasper was hardly comfortable with two (besides Alice's company). He silently congratulated the unknown vampires for their patience to put up with immortal beings, all who carried different personalities. Jasper admitted he had a hard time being with Alice. He was the brooding type; he dwelled over his problems. Alice was the bubbly, optimistic butterfly that didn't dwell much. You run into a wilting flower, she moves on to the next, in other words.

His red eyes followed Alice around the room until she was happy with the results of her cleaning. "Ready?" She asked, her voice trilling with excitement. Jasper nodded once, and Alice shot forward, taking his large hand and dashing through the hallways of the creaky two-story hotel.

"We're almost there, Jazz." Alice had resorted to using the short version of Jasper's name. It was as if she believed that if she didn't get the words out quick enough, he'd leap outward onto the pavement and attack a passerby. It irked him, quite frankly. Alice's emotions were nervous and tense, and it made him even more jumpy. Her hands were locked around his arm, and his fists were clenched to where the tendons jutted out unhandsomely. Alice and Jasper were buzzing through the street to the outskirts of town. They darted through shadowed alleyways and under the shadow of large hotels and diners. They reached the outskirts of town in twenty minutes, for they were forced to walk at human pace. Alice may not know much about their kind, but she wasn't stupid. Any human that saw them in their normal form would result in their deaths and their own.

He was pulled from his thoughts when we met the edge of town. The worn cobblestone had merged into dirt, and a forest bordered the slim road as far as their eyes could see. Thick brush and tangled brambles were forming the canopy, along with ashen trunks of trees and leafless branches. This was a more familiar forest to Jasper. Now that Alice and Jasper had made our way back to Texas for his sake, Jasper felt more at home. He knew what made its home here.

He could hear in the distance the sound of the town. Horses, buzzing voices, bells of shop doors being opened. But when Jasper turned his head, the noises of the countryside forest greeted his ears like a familiar song, or a reunion. Alice and Jasper walked silently, hand in hand, down the road. Mockingbirds sang beside them on their right, and he heard the scuttle of a jackrabbit through the ashy leaves. Far in the distance, Jasper heard a stag scraping his antlers on the trunk of a tree.

He was so tuned into the sounds of nature that he almost forgot their purpose here. "I don't know this place very well," Alice admitted, her voice a whisper, "but I know you do. You'll be able to find some sort of food here. Just hunt as you would do normally; humans don't wander out here. They'd either get tangled in the bramble and cacti, or get bitten by a rattler." He looked over at her. She was sparkling in the sunlight. Jasper nodded once. He looked at the ashen trunks beside him, suddenly realizing that he would be the monster in this wood.

"It's the only way." She murmured, her fingers lingering lightly on his arm for half a second. She sighed and turned swiftly and expertly into the woods. Jasper looked back to his left, and stalked stealthily into the canopy of wiry branches and flitting birds. Jasper briefly took in his surroundings. He could sense the cache of animals lurking around, minding their own business.

A mockingbird sang above him, flying so close to the tops of the branches that he dusted it with his tail feathers. A field mouse scuttled somewhere by his feet. Jasper closed his eyes. A breeze stirred up the scents of a small herd of deer. Jasper's eyes snapped open. He turned north, choosing to sprint soundlessly through the leaves towards the source of the scent. As he neared the deer, he could hear the wet pulsing of the small herbivores heartbeats. Through a gap in the trees, he caught a glimpse of two white-tailed deer. A small buck was grazing next to a timid doe with big brown eyes. Jasper swallowed the venom welling in his mouth and focused on the single point where the blood pulsed loudly in the thin sinewy layer of the buck's neck. He took one step sideways onto a twig, which cracked loudly. The doe's head jerked upward, her too-large ears swiveling around her. The buck copied her movements. His ears pointed towards Jasper, and Jasper knew the deer would spot him in a matter of seconds. This was his chance. With a growl deep in his chest, Jasper lunged forward onto the buck. The doe took off sprinting, her tail up, and Jasper saw briefly the grey color of her pelt blending into the forest in front of him, leaving only the buck -which now lay paralyzed beneath his bone crushing grip- and himself in the small five foot wide clearing. Jasper, utterly repulsed by the thought of having to drink animal blood after already tasting human blood, reluctantly placed his lips upon the buck's neck and drank in its thin blood.

Jasper was not satisfied with his catch. Not only was his shirt soiled with dust and some animal blood, but the burn remained in his throat. The buck could not quench the burning pain.

Jasper continued on, feeling alone. Alice hadn't left his side for all the weeks they'd spent together. They spent their days talking, and then continue to spend their nights talking. The only change was that they were free to wander the streets at that time. She told him that she planned to go to the Cullens, after already seeing herself in their family.

"Why just you?" Jasper had asked. Alice then shrugged, her expression honestly confused.

"My visions are subjective. I guess you haven't completely decided if you want to live with Carlisle and his family or not." Jasper didn't know how Alice could use their names like she knew them already. They were oblivious to her watching them.

Jasper looked about the edge of the forest, hearing distant and uninviting heartbeats. He continued on through the open field, crunching through the poor soil and long, sun bleached grass. He didn't know how far he walked like that. He only knew he had passed through the meadow and into more of a rocky slope. The scent around him hadn't changed much. Just stale scents of deer and birds and lost humans had remained.

He hadn't traveled far up the slope before he sensed a loud heartbeat around him. It was wet, and the blood was thick and pulsed slowly through the creature's veins. Venom pooled in Jasper's mouth, and he swallowed it. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. The mountain lion was very close to him, about fifty feet away, hidden in a thick cluster of yellow buckeye trees. The trees itself confused him; he hadn't realized he'd traveled so far out towards Edward's Plateau, which was five miles away from where the dirt road was. Focusing again, he opened his eyes and peered through the yellow blossoms on the shrub. He crept forward, knowing from the lion's deep and steady breathing that it was in slumber.

Jasper lunged, not afraid of the branches of the shrub. It wouldn't hurt him. It would just startle the lion to a point where it would retreat out of its minimum shade. The lion growled and darted out, its thick heavy paws meeting the gravely earth as it bounded up the trail. Jasper followed, his feet quickly carrying him with blinding speed behind it. Jasper caught up with the lion, his hands grasping it's sides, instantly throwing both of them onto the ground in a struggle. Claws raked down Jasper's chest, and the loud tearing of fabric and grunting and growling was all you could hear. The lion was nothing compared to Jasper, but it was putting up a fight. The cat's attacks could have been playful nips for all Jasper knew. He felt no pain, just raw ambition and thirst. With a quick movement, Jasper bit down onto the lion's neck, his teeth cutting through the layers of the fur and fat liked biting into a soft piece of bread. He drank in the thick warm blood until he was so full that the blood sloshed uncomfortably in his stomach. Jasper stood up, discarding the remnants of what was once his shirt, and taking off down the trail towards the spot where he knew Alice was waiting.


	3. Overprotective Fool

When Jasper finally arrived at the dirt road where they had split up into the woods, Alice was already there. She was sitting cross-legged in the exact middle of the road, shredding leaves blankly, lost in the future. A mass of shreds lay spread out haphazardly next to her knee. He examined her up and down, instantly feeling sheepish. She was perfectly prim and proper, while he was bedraggled, shirtless, and dirty. He proceeded to sit beside her. Alice looked up at him, her eyes focusing on his face. Jasper could see the diamond tone of her skin settling for a dim sparkle as thick grey cloud rolled lethargically over the radiant Texas sunset. Alice's eyes were searching Jasper's face, and her pale golden orbs eventually settled to look into Jasper's eyes.

"Welcome back, Jasper. I see you got some hunting in." She reached over and picked a fleck of dried blood that had hardened on his chin off. She rose to her feet and pulled him up beside her. She then pulled my Jasper's until she could pick out a short twig. If he could blush, he would have. He felt like he must have looked pretty stupid. "I think we should be leaving. It's about to rain." Alice breathed. Her sweet breath washed over him, stunning him for a moment. Alice reached for his hand and led him quickly down the path towards the small town. The air was heavy, a sure sign of a major storm. Jasper looked beside him, noticing that all the animals had gone into hiding. Without all the noises, the path back seemed almost eerie.

"Where'd your shirt go?" Alice piped up randomly. Jasper turned to look at her. She was smiling playfully, her eyes teasing. Jasper shrugged.

"Would you like me going with you looking like a rouge?" He laughed, and Alice tittered beside him. "But I suppose going half naked wouldn't be so great, either." Alice's emotions spiked, but Jasper ignored it.

When they reached the town, it was getting dark. After leaving a general store with a new secondhand coat, Alice and Jasper headed back towards the hotel. The rain fell down in a light rain, soaking through their clothes in a matter of minutes. Sighing, Alice ducked into a dark pub, and Jasper followed. It was smoky and dry inside the pub, and Alice took a seat at the back of the pub, ignoring a tall man who tried to stop her. Jasper glared at him as he shoved past, then he sat down in front of Alice. He averted his eyes away from her shirt, which was completely plastered to her body. He held a fraying edge of his new shirt in his hand.

"Just until the rain lets up, Jazz." Alice said. "I should at least go buy you a whiskey. We don't drink it, but we must look pretty odd just sitting here." She got up to leave, and Jasper watched her disappear. Her tiny figure pushed through the overcrowded pub. Half the people present were only here to get a bottle of rum or whiskey and get out of the rain. The buzz of the noise around him was annoying. Jasper couldn't stand public places. He was literally going mad under his skin, but the recent hunt was able to keep him glued to his seat. He focused on the burn in his throat until he felt Alice's emotions go from frustrated to angry to annoyed. Jasper stood up and shoved forcefully through the crowd of drunkards. Alice was cornered against the dark paneled bar counter, the tall man she had shoved past earlier in front of her.

He growled, and Alice looked up. Obviously, she could handle herself. Alice was an immortal being who could crush anything that blew past her. She was too lady-like to shove the man who was trying to cop a feel in front of her. Jasper couldn't see anything but Alice, and when she growled audibly, his vision was cornered in red. He shot forward, shoving the man far enough to pass as an extremely built man, but not hard enough to look abnormal. Alice shook her head, her eyes glittering playfully.

"What the hell is your problem?" The man groaned, rubbing his arm where Jasper had dug his fingers into. He shrugged and decided to drag Alice out of the pub.

"It's not worth risking our secret, Jasper. If I really needed to, I could have dealt with it." Alice argued as Jasper pulled her through the drenched street. He growled, the venom still in his mouth. He could have killed him.

"It wasn't worth letting you have your fun when I'm back there watching. I'm protective of the people who…" Jasper let his voice trail off. What he was about to say was: '_I'm protective of the people who I love._' Alice didn't say anything more as they sped through the roads and into the hotel.

Alice was about to go into the room when she turned, letting her fingers linger on the skin of his arm. "Oh, Jasper, I had another vision." The mood changed. Jasper was instantly curious about it, but the feeling of her fingers on his skin was so unbelievably incredible that it shot electric bolts through him. Jasper tried to register it and save it for later. He then grinned.

"Yeah? What was it about? Do I catch a bear next time?" She smiled.

"No. You have decided. We are both going to live with them!" She squeezed his arm. She was purring with happiness.

Jasper assumed that he had made that decision subconsciously, and he was feeling reluctant about going to be with those Cullens at the moment. But then he saw the light in Alice's eyes, and all the doubt I felt was replaced instantaneously with positive thoughts about how happy Alice and I would be. I was confident in her vision. Alice took his hand and led him back into their room.

--

Jasper lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Alice was changing out of her drenched clothes and into some dry ones. He heard the thunk of the belt as it met the floor. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Jasper."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, just look at me already." She sighed. He rolled over, and Alice stood across the room. His shirt draped to the tops of her thighs, and it was safe to look. He bit his lip; he'd never seen so much of her before. "Jasper, do you want to go with me to the Cullens?"

Jasper thought for a moment. Should he follow Alice? _Would_ he follow Alice? He vowed he wouldn't leave her. She was his only way to live in this world. She had taught him so much. Could he just let that go? Could he let _her_ go? Alice stood quavering against the wall farthest from him. Her emotions were gone; the signal was lost. Was she trying to see what he would answer.

He sighed. "Well… I'd better get a room with a view." The expression on Alice's face was so extremely surprised that it almost offended him. She took off across the room and collided with him, her arms around him.

"Oh, thank you Jasper! Thank you!" She pulled away for a moment, looking up at him. Her long lashed brushed her cheeks as she closed her eyes. Her perfect lips spread over her perfect teeth on her already-perfect face, forming a smile so beautiful and true that Jasper couldn't help but grin in return.

He felt a sudden impulse to touch her mouth, her perfect cupid bow lips on his own. He wanted to feel the smoothness of her mouth, and how it would mold perfectly against his. He knew they were just made for each other, the other puzzle piece in the big jigsaw puzzle. His other half.

He reached out and touched her cheek, and she leaned into his palm impulsively. He emotions were blank once more, and after half a second, she returned, her emotions spiked. Had she just seen him kiss her? She must have… She leaned up towards his face, her nose touching his.

"Oh, kiss me already, you overprotective fool." She rocked back on her heels.

Jasper leaned down just a bit, and Alice met him halfway. The feelings that encompassed him almost instantly were like none other that Jasper had ever experienced. Love. Joy. Pain. Happiness. Adoration. Devotion. Trust. All these emotions wrapped around Jasper's dormant heart like a blanket, surrounding him in Alice's love and bond with him, evidently tying him to Alice with a golden thread.

They stood in the room, wrapped in each others arms and emotions. Jasper took Alice's face in his hands and he pulled her even closer against him. He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing his attention on kissing the most amazing woman that was standing in front of him, twisting her fingers into his blond locks.

Jasper pulled away from the kiss, looking down at Alice. He rested his head on top of her head and pulled her against his chest. Alice's arms adjusted and tightened around his neck.

"All I can give you is my heart, which is long past dead." Jasper murmured against the skin of her eyelids. They fluttered open to stare at him with golden eyes. She pushed his chest so he would step back.

Alice kissed him lightly on his jaw, which was all she could reach. "And that, my Jasper, is more than enough." She embraced him once more, locking her arms around him like an iron brace.

Jasper sighed with content and began humming tunelessly.


	4. Hurt

Jasper and Alice walked silently down the violet lit road in the middle of nowhere. The crickets chirped noisily, hidden in the tall grasses of the Texas hills. Jasper gingerly held Alice's small hand in his own, leading her through the darkness. Of course, it wasn't dark to them, it was just as clear as day. The only difference was the change in color palettes. The warm colors of day had bled into the violet and dark shades of night. Alice was lost in her own world, her eyes never leaving the omnipresent blanket of stars above their heads.

Jasper was used to Alice's sudden drop outs. Alice wasn't very experienced with her visions; they still took her by surprise. When her emotions went blank once more, Jasper stopped and turned to look at her face, now a pale white as the purple cloud rolled away from the full moon. Once she opened her eyes, she saw the questioning in Jasper's face.

"We're almost there, but we must hurry. If time passes like it has been, and we keep this leisurely pace, we'll meet morning in a few short hours. Then we'll have to hide away for _another_ day. Let's go."

Jasper nodded, taking her hand once more. They both ran nonstop off into the night, running as far as possible so they could cover as much distance as they could. Alice's feelings mingled with Jasper's own excitement, he felt as if he could see it rolling off her shoulders.

They ran in silence, the only sound was their feet hitting the ground with every quick step they took. Alice's borrowed white shirt billowed out behind her like a ghost floating through the streets. Her face was lifted up into the wind. "I love running," she once told Jasper, "I feel so free. No thirst, I don't breathe while I run unless I have to. I just feel." Jasper couldn't do that; he needed his senses. He felt paralyzed without his sense of smell. He wouldn't be able to taste the air around him or smell his prey. Jasper tasted the air as he thought about it, tasting a distant trace of water lingering in the air. Though it did not sound inviting, Jasper still turned sharply and dragged a surprised Alice behind him.

He focused on the man-made lake in front of him as he jumped over a lopsided, dilapidated fence, and behind him, Alice followed gracefully over the top of the fence like a gazelle. Jasper stopped when his feet touched the scraggly, sun dried, colorless grass. The moon reflected perfectly on the lake, the rippling on the surface distorting the color and shape slightly. Alice squeezed Jasper's hand.

"If only I'd been able to see this. It's very breathtaking." Alice leaned slightly into him.

Jasper started forward, taking long strides until he met the water's edge. "Would you like to swim?" Jasper laughed merrily. Alice looked almost surprised to hear the noise. He rolled his eyes. The water was motionless around Jasper's bare feet.

"I'd rather not." Alice laughed lightly. Jasper shrugged, unbuttoning his shirt swiftly and dropping it by the edge.

"Suit yourself." He dove into the water, kicking his long legs through the black water. Jasper stayed under the surface for a while, enjoying the silence of the water and the feeling of weightlessness. He scanned the floor of the muddy lake, and finding nothing interesting, he surfaced. He could see Alice sitting across the lake, her back to him. She was facing the direction of the distant farm house across the field. There were only a few lights on in the house, and a small wispy cloud of smoke was swirling upward into the night sky. Alice sighed, and Jasper swam towards the water's edge to sit in the shallow slope of the lake.

He pondered this simple life with Alice. They were nomadic, currently living in wherever they happened to be when the sun began to rise. They would move on as the sun began to sink in the sky, and travel all night. They hunted whenever they could, because Alice warned Jasper about the lack of hidden spaces and shade during the day that would not allow them to hunt in daylight. They had covered much distance; Alice assumed they were somewhere in Idaho, almost to their destination of Washington, where Alice was confident the Cullen's were living.

Jasper constantly battled with himself over the matter of living with the Cullen's. He wanted nothing more but to sit and relax and travel everywhere with Alice. He preferred this life. He didn't have to worry about much, and he could live carefree, away from anyone and everything. He found a surplus of prey while they traveled in remote areas, and he met challenges when they were in a more populated place. Alice helped the matter; giving him constant encouragement and love. He didn't want to have to leave the life behind and deal with the thirst again, deal with his constant dilemmas of not being able to handle it. Alice explained that he could no longer be a vampire, but he must pretend to be a human.

"It's difficult at first, Jazz," she said once as they walked through a flat grassland, "but with time it will become easier." She had pointed to their fingers knotted together. "But walking out in sunlight will be a problem. We won't be able to. We must stay hidden, like we did in Texas. We can't risk being seen. And human behavior is what we will have to use, Jasper. No free hunting if you spot an animal, you'll have to use restraint." Lice had constantly gone on and on about the subject of living with the Cullens. Japer wasn't sure he was ready for it.

Alice gasped, and Jasper whipped around to see what had startled her. Her feelings were angry and confused, and Jasper got quickly to his feet. "Alice?" He murmured. Alice stood up now, her body turning unbearably slow to face Jasper. Her eyes met his, and almost instantaneously, Jasper realized what Alice must have seen.

"Alice, I…"

"Don't even say anything!" Alice growled. It ripped through her chest menacingly, and Jasper shrunk backwards a small bit. Alice must have seen him choose living with here, not with the Cullens. He reached out to touch her elbow, but she smacked his hand away. "I can't believe you would choose not to follow through. You promised, I thought you would be true to your word. You are a liar, and after all we've been through, you choose to go back! It's incredible, Jasper!" She took off, sprinting full speed back the way they had entered. She took off over the fence, and Jasper jerked to life. He ran even faster than Alice, soon meeting up with her. She just kept running, and soon they met a small patch of trees.

Jasper took a second to let Alice cool down. He looked at the trees, unbelievably nervous. Would Alice let him explain? Jasper was doubtful, and he pulled apart a stray piece of burlap strung over a tree branch. He knew now that he had to face Alice, so he stepped under a cluster of brambles tangled in the trees and looked around for his companion.

She was leaning against the trunk of a tree, her face in an expression Jasper had never seen before. Her eyes looked as if they would have tears, though he obviously knew they would never be. Her eyebrows were pulled up, but her mouth was angry. She gnawed furiously with her razor sharp teeth at her bottom lip. "You should have told me that you planned to fall back on our plan." She murmured. Jasper heard it clearly as if she'd spoken loudly and directly towards him.

Alice looked away from the big moon looming over the now-rugged terrain to look at Jaspers face. Jasper brushed the soaking hair from his forehead and sat down across from her. He took her hand, but she pulled it away. She had not yet forgiven him. "Alice, it was a decision I had to make. I hadn't really thought it through until today."

"What changed your mind?" She whispered curiously. Her tone was honest; Jasper was not afraid to tell her the truth.

"You mentioned how hard it would be. Lives will be lost in my pathetic attempt to be human." Jasper felt the truth dawning upon him.

"But you're doing so well right now." Alice replied, now confused.

"Alice, love, don't you see? In this nomadic life, we hardly ever meet a human. We avoid busy areas and we mostly travel at night. There hasn't been an instance where I have met a human close enough for me to attack. But I know how close humans get, and that would put them in so much danger from the monster inside that I _can't_ control. I just think it's best to live our lives like this…"

"Is that you're problem, Jasper? Your complete lack of confidence of the control in yourself?" Alice left on that note, standing up and walking at a human pace through the gap in the trees. Where to, Jasper didn't know. He didn't bother following.

Jasper fell back against the leaves, his hair strewn across the soil, his arms twisted over his eyes. He suddenly realized how hurt Alice must have been.


	5. Pondering

Jasper didn't know how long he spent on the forest floor. He hadn't moved an inch since Alice had left. His head was replaying the memory in his head. It was on repeat, and it played over and over. Every time Jasper went over it, he felt a cut slash through him. How could he have been so stupid as to let himself agree with staying where he was and _not_ following Alice? She had trusted him; she was not one to let go of things easily. He has promised he'd follow her wherever she decided to go, and he had broken that.

He mentally kicked himself as he thought of Alice's trembling figure. He watched her rise to her perfect feet and look at him in the eyes. He looked into her dark gold eyes rimmed with black hunger and saw his reflection, and then the disappointment that filled them. The memory ended as he watched Alice's body disappear from his vision.

Jasper removed his arm from his eyes and blinked a couple of times. The sun was low on the horizon, making the trees cast elongated shadows across the floor of the small wood. Jasper turned his head to stare at the rugged terrain, now silhouetted against the harsh sunlight. He felt empty, until a sliver of hope sparked inside of him. Hurtling through the terrain was a tiny figure with cropped black hair. Alice? Alice! Alice, Alice, Alice! Jasper shot upwards, but the hope slowly cooled as he realized that the figure was not coming towards him. Jasper started back where he had came, but decided to climb a long, gnarled tree that blocked his path. He let his hands run over the raised knots on the branches, and he met a sturdy branch that supported his weight.

Alice's name came to his mind, like it had millions of times before. It made his breath catch. He couldn't breathe without her it seemed. He rested his head against the grey-toned trunk and closed his eyes. Oh, what had he done? Now Alice would never return..never…

"Jesus, Jasper. You'd think you would stay in one spot and sulk." Alice's voice whispered through the trees. Jasper shot to life and alighted on the earth below him. He sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the sweet, familiar scent of his one true love. He hadn't noticed her, and he regretted brooding over his massive mistake and not breathing.

Alice was standing, her posture hostile. Her glare made Jasper wince. "I'm so, so sorry Alice. I… I just thought about how wonderful our life would be."

Alice relaxed a tad, her eyes closing. She sighed. "Jasper, I know this must be hard. This is also my fault. I was pressuring you to follow me into something that will cause you immense pain-"

"You make yourself sound quite malignant when you put it that way." Jasper interrupted her. "But it was my selfish being that decided to stay. I promised you I would follow you wherever your heart takes you, and I broke that promise. I am asking for your forgiveness, and I am asking for a second chance. A second chance will let me explain that I…I _will_ follow you to these Cullens. Please, Alice. I'll get on my knees, if you'd like."

Alice's laughter was something Jasper didn't expect. "No need to entreat me for forgiveness. You had me at 'I'm sorry, Alice.' " Alice took Jasper's hand and pulled him closer. "I think you've suffered enough, Jazz." Jasper smiled at his name. "And, well, I had time to think this over, and I have decided to welcome you back." She smiled, her eyes teasing.

"I'm going with you." Jasper smiled and stroked her cheek. He studied her eyes, now a light gold. "And my thoughts won't hinder my heart any longer." Jasper put his hand over her heart, and Alice mirrored him.

"I can live with that, I guess." Alice murmured in reply. They were both grinning from ear-to-ear, and suddenly, the world didn't seem so hopeless to Jasper anymore.

Alice and Jasper pressed onward, running and jumping and being happy. Alice Claimed she were crazy as the days passed with empty results.

"They don't exist…I must be dreaming instead of seeing." She muttered to herself hopelessly one rainy night. Jasper watched her sigh and fall back onto a grimy, mossy rock that had water bouncing off the hard surface. She pulled her legs up onto her chest, and buried her face into her knees with exhaustion, hiding everything but the crown of black hair (now drenched) on her head. Even over the loud drumming of the steady rain, Jasper could hear her sigh. "We're never going to find them." It was unusual for Alice to feel so low, but her pessimistic attitude had yet to irk Jasper. He sat down on the flattest surface of the rock, which was wedged between a large mossy tree trunk and a deep forest that entered into a meadow.

"Alice, if you saw us with them, then we'll find them. I haven't experienced one of your visions that have not come true, and I am willing to take the chance about this one. I'm sure we're very close; this is the exact kind of weather and terrain you witnessed about the blond and the bronze haired vampire, correct?"

Alice nodded vaguely. "Yes, but I don't think this ones right. It may just be a fantasy…besides, you will get tired of our useless travels eventually." Her voice was slightly muffled as she spoke into the fabric of her shorts.

"I'll roam across the earth to find them, just for you. I won't ever get tired of these futile attempts." He smiled lightly, a gesture that wasn't so rare anymore. Alice sat upright, her weary eyes bright as they touched Jasper's face.

"Ok." She whispered. Jasper reached up and touched here cheek with his long pallid fingers, feeling the stone smooth skin on the area where his fingers lingered. Alice sighed. Jasper turned to look into the wood, where the edge of a large white house loomed in the distance.

"Alice, this phase is trivial. Once we arrive there, we'll have forever to get used to it. Enjoy this part of our lives, because this sole part of eternity will soon be coming to a close." Jasper looked up briefly at the house again, curiosity spiking somewhere, though it wasn't his. He surveyed the area around it: a big green meadow bordered by huge trees that must have been centuries old, tall green grass and green moss and green everything- so green, that the house looked completely out of place, all pristine and clean in the middle of an alien planet.

A gust of wind stirred up old and new scents of vampires, and Jasper defensively snarled menacingly, the growl ripping through his chest and up his throat. Alice jumped, and turned to face the house, which now was slightly visible. A squeal echoed through the forest, and she jumped to her feet. "Jasper, Jasper, we are here! We've been here! Yes!" She thought for a moment. "I see what you mean by our eternity like this is coming to a close." Alice nodded to herself, smiling. It was like the thick rain cloud had rolled away, revealing a bright sunlight that cast a luster on Alice's feelings. She was instantly optimistic. She took Jasper's hand and skipped towards the mysterious mansion. Jasper was pulled along reluctantly, his bare feet dragging through the muddy earth.

Alice was walking up the well-worn path up to the front porch in a matter of seconds. She turned to face the suddenly worried boy behind her. "Remember, Jasper: this may be difficult, but it's vital that you be polite, despite the circumstance." She fixed her wet hair (though Jasper subconsciously wished she'd just give it up; she _was_ beautiful) to look presentable. Jasper stood there, stifling an uneasy growl. His shoulders were taut and his jaw was set.

Alice had barely touched the front door when an anxious pair of golden eyed vampires opened the door.


	6. Accepted

Alice stepped back as the first vampire scrutinized them. His golden eyes flicked over Alice vaguely, but they lingered momentarily on Jasper. Jasper became self conscious, straightening himself out. Alice smiled brightly, and Jasper assessed the mood around them. The blond vampire, who Jasper assumed was either Edward or Carlisle, hid his shock and curiosity well. Jasper nodded to him, and then continued to the female behind him. She was young looking, her skin the same alabaster tone as Jasper's. Her golden eyes flitted nervously about Jasper, and he could feel the pity she emitted. Obviously, she noticed his scars.

Alice continued on with her plan. "Hello, Carlisle. Hello, Esme." She waved her small hand in the air, then let it drop to her side. Jasper shifted uncomfortably in the silence, and another wave of shock floated around them.

Carlisle regained his composure and grinned. "Hello, there." He still looked slightly uncomfortable, with two strange vampires appearing at their doorstep. One giant, battle scarred freak, and a short, bubbly pixie. Alice nodded.

"I'm Alice. And this is Jasper Whitlock." Jasper could not speak, so he tipped his head gently. Esme smiled, the shock being slowly replaced by a maternal and hospitable emotion. "This must be confusing for you, yes," Alice mused, " but don't worry. I will take the liberty to explain."

Carlisle felt humor. "Go ahead, Miss Alice… What is your last name, dear?" Carlisle murmured.

"Ah, it's all part of the story, Carlisle." Alice squeezed Jasper's hand, and Esme noticed. She was surprised at Alice and Jasper's close bond. She hadn't known many others beside her own coven.

"Do come in," Esme said politely. She waved a loose strand of caramel hair from her face and stepped aside. Carlisle followed, and despite their bedraggled appearance, allowed Alice and Jasper inside their warm, open home. Jasper almost felt sheepish as they stepped into the pristine environment. Esme led them into an open room with hardwood floors. A calendar on the wall stated that the date was February 14, 1949. Jasper sighed, stealing a glance at Alice. It had been so long, yet their time together had felt like so little. Did she know the date? He'd have to do something. He was constantly reminded every year the way a couple felt on this day. It sickened him really, knowing that he didn't have a significant other. But now that he had Alice…

"Have a seat, you two." Esme murmured politely, motioning to a few wicker chairs by a long window. The pitter patter of the rain increased to a more whipping sound as the wind ripped through the forest. It drummed against the deck outside, and it caused the windows to shake slightly. Alice took her seat in the chair, pulling Jasper along. Jasper folded himself to fit in the chair and waited for Carlisle to enter the room.

Carlisle settled himself on a recliner, and Esme bustled about the house, bringing towels to drape over both Alice and Jasper. Alice pulled hers around her shoulders.

"Let's wait for Rosalie, shall we?" She said, as if she'd know Rosalie for ages. Carlisle, his mood baffled again, nodded. Esme smiled.

"Of course, Alice. Whatever you like. Rosalie?" He turned his head vaguely towards the spiral staircase behind him. "Rosalie, would you please come down here? There is an interesting pair waiting for you." Interesting pair huh, Jasper thought to himself. He smiled to himself.

A tall, beautiful woman came tentatively down the stairs, her perfect lips curled into a forced smile. Her blond hair was up in a bun at the nape of her neck, and a few blond curls framed her perfect face. Her familiar golden eyes swept the room, meeting Alice, then to Jasper. Her emotions we're defensive, as if she'd put up a brick wall to block them. She felt nothing. It was as if seeing two freak vampire copy-cats was normal. She removed a hand from her well-worn magazine and waved.

"Rosalie," Carlisle began, "this is Alice and Jasper." Carlisle motioned to Alice, then to Jasper. Carlisle then beckoned Rosalie to the armrest of the recliner.

"Hello Rosalie. Or should I call you Rose? Because I've heard Emmett mention that name plenty of times…" Jasper felt the brick wall of emotions fall. Rosalie was confused and shocked, and then a little worried. Jasper understood, how could Alice know about her most personal moments with Emmett? Carlisle was looking intently at Rose, and Esme held onto his hand, her attention focused on Alice.

"Of course you all are wondering how I knew you. How I can know your names, your lives, your loves and losses. I have precognition, you see. It's subjective to what the subject- which in this case was the Cullen family- chooses and changes. My past is not important, because I honestly didn't have a past that I know of. My human memory is dim, like staring into the blackness hidden underneath your eyelids." Rosalie closed her eyes for half a second. "To make more sense of how Jasper and I know each other, and how we know you, allow me to start from the beginning."

Esme nodded, and Carlisle smiled in anticipation. Rosalie was still cautious, but she was more curious than cautious. Alice continued. "I had seen Jasper, who was at the time just a blond headed mystery boy, while I was walking down the streets a few days after I had been changed. The life was a mystery to me still. I knew what I was, but I didn't want to believe it. Tales of vampires and immortal beings were things that got us sent to insane asylums in my time." Alice looked down, clearly bothered. "It wasn't something new; I had experienced my visions in my human life. That is one of the few things I can remember. But this vision was so startling. I didn't understand why it was Jasper that showed up in the vision. He had never seen me, and neither had I. It was a freak accident."

"But after that one vision, my eyes were for Jasper. I spent my days trying to get a glimpse of him. A glimpse of his future, his path, just to see him. I spent my nights looking for him. Understand that I looked pathetic, looking for something that you didn't even really see clearly." She glanced at Jasper. "It was just a few months ago when I met him. I was in a diner in Philadelphia, sitting at the bar with untouched food on a plate before me. The bartender was a greasy man with thick fingers and patches of bald hair on his head. He ducked into the kitchen when the bell of the diner chimed. It let in a cool breeze, and the very few humans in the diner all moved. I could hear their movement, but I was more content on focusing on the drumming rain the hit the roof above me. My eyes recognized the setting around me, and I registered a past vision that I had encountered ages ago. I turned around quickly, seeing if it were him. Seeing if Jasper, my true love, had finally appeared to me."

"I was happy-no, jubilant- to see that the tall, blond soldier standing before me, drenched from the rain. I hopped off the plush red barstool and walked over to him. 'You've kept me waiting a long time,' I said. Jasper ducked his head and said: 'I'm sorry ma'am'. After that, I told him this exact story. But I mentioned you all, though it included Edward and Emmett, too. I told him about how I saw myself with you all, the golden eyed coven. Jasper and I traveled from Texas to meet you, and I'd like to know now what room I can move into."

Carlisle laughed, not rudely, but he was just surprised (once again) at her straightforwardness. Esme was all for it, she already loved Alice. Rosalie said nothing, but felt angry. Jasper thought he could figure out why. Who were they to intrude on their happy lives and just drop into the family?

Carlisle looked at Esme. "Well, Alice, Jasper, I'm not so sure how this will work out. But honestly, I believe you. And if this is something you've seen, well, I believe you." Jasper looked up, surprised. "And well then, Alice and Jasper, welcome to the Cullen Family." He stood up, and Alice jumped up from her seat, wrapping her arms around his waist. Carlisle was taken aback, but smiled and patted her back. Jasper shook Carlisle's hand.

"You don't know how much this means to her," he murmured as they both watched Alice, Rosalie, and Esme pad up the stairs. "She's been hanging on this for months."

"I would imagine." Carlisle mused. 'How did she know about Emmett and Edward when they are out hunting?"

"Alice saw all of you in a vision a while back. She's so ahead of the future I'm afraid she'll end up encountering the next forty years. But that's Alice; she can keep a secret. Maybe she already knows the meaning of life, but it's locked away in her heart." Jasper sighed.

Carlisle laughed. "I doubt she can hide it for much longer. Edward is 'gifted', too. He can read minds. It's amusing at times, but it does get pretty old at times. He's too smart, and we can't keep anything from him. No secrets are kept in this family, but it doesn't matter, because he's always hidden away studying or playing the piano." Carlisle pointed towards a massive grand piano, the black glossy finish shining in the warm lights around the pale room.

"Well, Alice believes I have a power. I do too, but I haven't quite mastered it yet." Jasper felt like he could trust Carlisle. He was a nice man. "I have the power to manipulate emotions around me. I have enough power to make someone succumb to pressure, or to just change their feelings. I needed it while Alice and I traveled. She would talk so much, but I wanted quiet. So I made her feel peaceful for a few moments. She would stop talking, and even though I didn't use it any more, she was quiet."

"That's quite the talent." Carlisle said, his voice impressed. He nodded to himself. "How about you go upstairs and pick you room? I'm sure you'd need one to keep all your stuff."

"We don't have anything but the clothes on our backs." Jasper murmured sheepishly.

"That's quite alright. I'm sure Rose can take you to get a new wardrobe one of these days." Carlisle stood up and left Jasper, following Esme upstairs. Rosalie came wandering down the stairs and gingerly set a box of albums onto the hard wood floors. She pivoted and retreated back upstairs as quickly as she came.

Alice, who was following behind her, put on her best Rosalie face and marched down the stairs, kicking out her legs and pointing her bare feet to resemble Rosalie's 'martyr march'. Jasper laughed and took the box of even more albums from her hands. He stacked it on top of the identical cardboard box and took her hand. "I chose my room." Alice said as she skipped down the hallway.

She led Jasper to a large room, with forest green walls and perfect white carpet. There was one window that almost completely covered the wall, and the room was up high enough that it brushed the tops of the small evergreen trees that bordered the house. Jasper traces a golden leaf design that was engraved on the wall, letting his fingers wander over the hills and slopes of the intricate design. "Alice, this is beautiful." He murmured.

"It was Edwards room." She said smugly. She pushed another box full of records into the hallways and shut the door, flopping onto the bed and closing her eyes. Her fingers played with the plain green sheet. "But one thing I don't get is the fact that they have beds in here. We don't sleep, and we definitely don't get exhausted…"

"Props, maybe?" Jasper murmured, still glancing out the sliding door window. He looked down and saw just a tiny gap of space between the house and the woods. He looked up, scanning the area. It was unfamiliar and the weather hadn't been good. Jasper did not like the thick grey clouds that rolled through the sky and hung low against the distant horizon. Some clouds were low enough that the misty fog hovered just above the tips of the trees. It was cold, and there was no sunlight. Jasper liked sunlight, especially in Texas.

Alice rolled over onto her back, looking up at the white ceiling. "I guess." She gripped the cherry bed posts. "Jasper…? What do you really think about this place?" Jasper could tell that Alice was preparing herself for the worst.

"Would you like the truth?" Jasper murmured, making his way to the bed. Alice nodded. Jasper bit his lip and sat next to her. "I think this is absolutely mad." His eyes looked towards the window. Alice did not breathe next to him. "The weather is awful, the family seems a bit weird, and knowing we'll have to act human feels very unreal and confining. And what are we going to do all day?"

"Jasper, I didn't know-"

"But, Alice, there is one or two things I guess I could learn to like here. I mean, for once, we can wander outside during the day. And there is a forest right by here; we don't have to travel long to find food. Alice, I think this will work. No- I believe it will. I trust you and your crazy visions, and I sure won't ever take them for granted. I'm going to stay with you no matter how much this life hurts me."

Jasper took Alice's hand and touched his lips to it. She smiled radiantly, and he grinned. "Promise, my overprotective fool?"

"Yes of course, my _muy pequeño_ monster." A door downstairs clicked open, and both Alice and Jasper looked towards the direction of the doorway. "Edward?" Jasper murmured.

Alice nodded excitedly. "And Emmett." She got off the bed and wandered downstairs to repeat her story.

Jasper was left wondering: Would they be accepted?


	7. Stories

Jasper got up from the bed, the springs squeaking as the weight was lifted. He took one wistful glance outdoors and walked tentatively out in the hall. Without Alice, he felt lost. He did not belong here, barging into this family's life. He belonged with Alice in Texas. But he promised Alice.

"Cross your heart?" She had said. He crossed his heart and nodded. "Forever."

Jasper glanced downstairs, seeing Alice repeat her story to Edward. Edward's eyes were elsewhere, focusing somewhere other than the short girl in front of him. Jasper thought it was rude, quite frankly. There Alice was, looking for acceptance, and Edward stood there looking detached.

Edward's eyes focused and he glanced up at Jasper. His eyes were intelligent, and the topaz was rimmed with a dark black ring around his irises. His lips turned into a crooked smile, and he looked down at his feet. "I apologize, Jasper, if I seem rude. I was just looking deeper into Alice's story. She feels great emotions for you, and it's much more interesting to actually see the story play out in her head like a movie. Fascinating, actually. So, do forgive me if I seem rude. It's harmless; I'm just trying to understand." He ran a thin, almost feminine hand through his bronze hair and returned to his previous state, his eyes lost in a story Jasper had been dying to see for himself.

"I-I-'m sorry. I didn't know…" Jasper felt sheepish. Edward just nodded his head slightly and did not move anymore.

Jasper started down the spiraling staircase and met Alice, Carlisle, and Edward downstairs. Carlisle sat sprawled out comfortably on the couch, his head in Esme's lap. Her hand was in his hair, and her eyes never left Alice and Edward. She didn't blink, nor did she breathe. She just sat there, watching Edward's reactions and hearing Alice's wind chime voice.

Jasper brushed his hand against Alice's shoulder and motioned towards the door. With a rueful nod, Alice dismissed him. Jasper hurriedly stepped into the fresh air and flopped onto the porch. He stared out into the endless wood, letting his thoughts wander. Obviously, they were welcomed into the family. There was no denying that they would fit in. But Jasper felt like a specimen under a professor's watchful eye. It was almost as if they were expecting Jasper to crack.

Something large moved in the trees. There was a laugh following it; a light, airy laugh. It was the big brawny one, Emmett. He walked through the trees with his hand intertwined with Rosalie. He was grinning, and Rosalie did not look intimidating to Jasper for the first time. Jasper got up to leave, but Emmett stopped him.

"You must be the creepy one, huh?" Emmett laughed a booming laugh that echoed around the clearing. His mood was teasing, but Jasper couldn't help but feel defensive. Rosalie looked like this was normal (which it probably was), and also like she didn't care the least that Emmett had just told Jasper what she thought of him. "Man, those are some nasty scars." Emmett was thoughtful and he moved his big finger from a scar that peeked out from Jasper's rolled up shirtsleeve. Jasper nodded.

"That's fairly recent…" Jasper murmured, touching the scar. It had a numbing sting to it, and he had forgotten how he had received it. Emmett was calming down, and Jasper stared intensely at Rosalie. She relaxed underneath one of Emmett's long, heavily muscled arms. Jasper grinned; he was able to control his powers much better with concentration.

"I'm Emmett, by the way." Emmett looked at Rosalie briefly. "And I don't know what's with Rosalie, but I'll keep you posted." He waved to Jasper before stepping beside him and continuing through the front door, leaving Jasper alone.

Alice met up with him in moments, her graceful step never failing to amaze Jasper. "Hello, Jazz." She wrapped her tiny doll-like arms around his waist and placed her ear over his heart. She would hear nothing, but Jasper did not mind. Anytime Alice was in contact with him, he pretty much kept his mouth shut. Alice did most of the talking. "I imagine your heart beating when I do this." She murmured, swaying them both. She sighed. "But it's all messed up. I don't have anny real idea of what it's supposed to sound like. I can't keep the rhythm."

Jasper placed on of his hands on her lower back and drummed his fingers. Each movement was quick, with two beats. One two. One two. "Like that, Alice." Jasper said. Alice nodded.

"I don't mean to interrupt…" Came a maternal voice. Jasper jumped, startled, but Alice just turned her head casually in the direction where Esme had spoken. Jasper followed Alice's gaze.

Esme stood in the doorway, a hand on her hip. She smiled softly. "Rosalie wondered wanted to know if she could take Alice out. Bonding or something. I think she just wants you in a new wardrobe, is all. You can come along, if you'd like to, Jasper." Esme looked up at him. Jasper shook his head.

"No thank you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Esme, please."

"No thank you, _Esme,_ I'd prefer to stay here, if it's alright with you and Carlisle. I would like to talk to him, and well…Erm, just try and learn the history and whatnot of this place. It's very intriguing." Jasper pushed Alice away and released her from his hold.

"Of course, dear. Come on then, Alice."

Alice pecked Jasper on the cheek before retreating into the house. Carlisle met Jasper on the porch after Esme had told him about what Jasper had said.

"Yes, Jasper?"

"Carlisle, I was just wondering about the family. What's the connection between all of you?" As if it wasn't obvious. Jasper stammered. "I-I mean, what's your story?"

Carlisle laughed. "It's quite long."

"I have an eternity." Jasper replied. Carlisle nodded.

"We do, we do." He mused to himself. "Come, come." He pointed to two white wicker chairs on the porch. Carlisle sat down, and Jasper followed. "My story begins long ago. It's not very important, you see. My father was a pastor in London during the 1640's, and he spent his days working against the supernatural. To skip the brutal facts," Edward must have told Carlisle about Jasper's slight fear of the whole transformation, "I was changed. I hid in a basement for days, trying to think of ways to rid myself from the world. 'I'm not normal. I should not exist,' I constantly told myself. But I could not destroy myself. I did not have the will."

"I continued to live my life in hiding. Thirst would overtake me and drive me insane, but I was never crazy enough to kill a human. One night, the thirst was just so overpowering… A herd of deer passed by my hiding spot and I lost it. I hunted nearly half of the deer. I was enlightened to the fact that I did not need human blood to survive, and that I could live my life normally now, without the risk of harming humans."

Jasper nodded. "That's amazing, Carlisle."

He nodded. "I began my life as a 'vegetarian vampire', working night shifts at the hospital. That is where I met Edward, in the morgue, dying of Spanish Influenza."

Jasper sighed. "Would you tell me his story?" Jasper asked. Carlisle shook his head.

"Edward can only explain it perfectly. You should ask him." Carlisle patted Jasper's shoulder and rose to his feet, once again leaving Jasper alone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jasper kissed Alice goodbye as the girls left to go shopping. Jasper had almost forgotten that people other than himself existed.

He found himself wandering up towards his new room. He touched the sheets and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes. He once again thought about the Cullens.

He first saw Dr. Carlisle's face with dark shadows beneath black eyes. He saw Carlisle sprinting like a mad man towards a herd of deer, and he imagined Carlisle's epiphany. He saw Esme, tidying up the already-pristine home. He saw Emmett and Rosalie, walking through the woods and into the meadow, the sun peeking from behind big thick rainclouds, causing their skin to have a dim luster. Emmett's large arm around Rosalie's dainty shoulders. He saw Edward, the mysterious unpaired Cullen. He had yet to find someone that suited him.

Someone cleared his throat. Jasper sat up, startled. Edward was picking up yet another cardboard box from the carpet. "Excuse me, Jasper. I didn't mean to startle you." Edward paused. "Carlisle had quite the story, didn't he?"

"Indeed. Yours sounds quite interesting, too. Why did he wait till you were passing?"

Edward sighed, pondering. His eyes glazed over, as if he were digging back a century to his human life. Edward began quietly: "My name was Edward Anthony Masen. My mother was in the bed next to me, also perishing from the disease. Yet she cared so much about me…it's a shame I can't really recall her face. Carlisle claims she was beautiful, even with the fever and pallid complexion." Edward smiled wistfully. "She asked Carlisle to save me, no matter what. And of course, he agreed. That's just the man Carlisle is."

"He changed me, and he took me here. He explained what I was, and how I came to be. I was afraid; immortal beings were bogus in my time. It just wasn't right. I eventually learned of my 'gift', and Carlisle and I stayed secluded for at least a decade. That's when he met Esme, again, working the night shift."

Jasper ran a hand through his hair. What was Esme's story? It was like reading a novel; the stories flowed naturally.

Edward chuckled. "Esme's was more depressing. I think a part of Carlisle's decision was not just his instant connection with her, but pity. You see, Esme wanted children."

"Naturally." Jasper mused, remembering her maternal personality.

Edward nodded. "But she was not able to, so she tried to kill herself. She jumped off a cliff. She didn't kill herself, but she was pretty much dead. She was mangled, and her heart was barely beating. She was placed in the morgue; the hospital was too busy to handle someone in her condition. Carlisle didn't have the heart to leave her there to suffer. He recognized her from when he treated her as a child, and Carlisle said that 'even under the damaged skin and blood, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen'. Since the hospital considered her dead, and the fact that she was beyond medical repair, Carlisle knew the secret to keep Esme with him. His venom would repair her. He knew that already, after already changing me. So he rolled her away later that night and transformed her. He was so furious with himself as she screamed and writhed in pain hidden deep in the forest where Carlisle and I lived. I saw it in his head whenever he has had to change one of us. He'd constantly apologize to her, and he didn't leave her side for days, even after the change. She just lay there, stunned."

"Esme turned out like nothing he imagined. She was his companion, his soul mate. I was happy for him, and ecstatic that there would be more than us. We wouldn't be alone for much longer."

"How did she adapt to your living habits?"

Edward thought for half a second. "She had trouble with her thirst for at least a year. We moved out to Michigan until she could settle down."

"How did she cope with you and Carlisle? I know that newborns can easily turn on each other…" Jasper shuddered, remembering his position with Maria in Texas. Edward saw his thoughts flash by, pondering his answer.

"The thought never crossed her mind, literally. Whenever Carlisle would walk into the room, her mood changed completely. I was constantly fighting to keep control of my head wandering into either of their thoughts. I didn't blame Carlisle, he'd lived about a a century and a half without any companion, and then he met me. So I cut him some slack." Edward laughed. "Eventually, they got over the 'tension'. It was pretty normal after that, but Esme would always slip into her human thoughts, and she'd sometimes replay the memory of feeling her child nudge her, and see the cliff below her. It was quite terrifying."

"I could always feel her longing for her child whenever she saw me, but that made her love me even more. I was the son she would never be able to have." He laughed, looking down into the box of records. "She bought me gifts and music and texts and whatever she thought would please me. She bought me this record many years ago. Claude Debussy…" He shook his head and placed the album he held into his hand back into the box. "Of course, I was pleased enough to know that Carlisle could come home to someone other than me. I would be studying in my room, so Carlisle would just linger in his room for hours. Then, when Esme lived with us, he would spend his hours with her. They would talk, or sit in silence, but they would be together. And I knew that all Carlisle wanted was company. They were inseparable, and the bond between them was tied so strongly that it would take millions and millions of hits to even break it."

What a strong bond, Jasper thought.

Edward nodded. "They eventually got married, and soon after, Carlisle found Rosalie in the streets. Rosalie saved Emmett, and then you two came."


End file.
